Costa Rica Hiking and Multi-Sport Adventure

Meet and greet at the international airport and transfer to your hotel in San Jose for your first night in Costa Rica. This evening we’ll get settled in and relax at our hotel which features 10 acres of botanical gardens, art, rocks and minerals. A welcome dinner is included this evening. Bougainvillea Hotel (D)

Today after our included breakfast we’ll have private ground transportation to San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital city. We’ll get a taste of San Jose’s culture and cuisine on a half-day walking tour with our private guide. We’ll learn about the city’s history, architecture and flavor, including a visit to 2 traditional markets, and if there’s time we’ll stop in to see the beautiful National Theater, and visit the Pre-Columbian Gold Museum and/or The National Museum of Costa Rica. (museum entrance fees not included.) Bougainvillea Hotel (B)

After breakfast, we’ll transfer to San Gerardo de Rivas, arrival at Hotel de Montana el Pelicano. In the afternoon and evening, we can enjoy the beautiful views from our facilities; you can also contemplate the collection of over 200 works of art, crafted by our father from roots. There are also short trails and a pool. Between 5:00 and 6:30 pm. we will be coordinating the transportation of equipment. Dinner in the Restaurant at approximately 7:30 pm. We’ll have a short debriefing with our guide about our 12-mile hike up and down Mt. Chirripo. On a clear day, at the 12,500 ft. summit, you can see the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea simultaneously! El Pelicano Mountain Lodge (B)

Breakfast in the restaurant and snack to go 4:30 am. Private transportation to the trailhead and begin hiking at 5:00 am. (Lunch on this day will be served once you have registered and are installed in your room at the shelter Base Crestones.) Dinner at Base Crestones between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Night at Shelter in National Park, shared room with full board. (B, L, D) Total distance: 14.5 km (9 mi.) Approximate time: 7 hours

HIKE SAN GERARDO TO LOS CRESTONES BASE CAMP
Trails	Location	Level	Distance
Pasture and forest, covered with roots, could be muddy	San Gerardo	meter 1.350 feet 4.400	..
Forest, covered with roots. Could be muddy	National Park limit	meter 1.850 feet 6.100	km 4.0 miles 2.5
Forest, covered with roots, could be muddy	Llano Bonito	meter 2.400 feet 7.900	km 3.5 miles 2.1
Paramo, embedded rocks	Faithless Mount	meter 3.200 feet 10.500	km 3.0 miles 1.8
Paramo, embedded rocks	Los Crestones Base Camp	meter 3.400 feet 11.150	km 5.0 miles 3.1
Uphill hike San Gerardo to Los Crestones Base Camp takes between 7 and 10 hours.

HIKE SAN GERARDO TO LOS CRESTONES BASE CAMP TO CHIRRIPO / CERRO TERBI
Trails	Location	Level	Distance
..	Los Crestones Base Camp	meter 3.400 feet 11.150	..
Paramo, embedded rocks	Cerro Chirripó	meter 3.820 feet 12.500	km 5.0 miles 3.1
Paramo, embedded rocks	Cerro Terbi Los Crestones	meter 3.550 feet 11.650	km 5.0 miles 3.1
Sunrise hike to the peak 1 ½ to 2 hours. Hike back to Los Crestones 1 ½ hours. Hike to Cerro Terbi and los Crestones 2,5 to 3,0 hours

   

Breakfast and snack to go at Base Crestones 3:00 am. Ascend Mount Chirripo (5 km, 3.1 mi.) Return to the shelter Base Crestones (+ 5 km, 3.1 mi.) Return to San Gerardo de Rivas (+ 14.5 km, 9 mi.) Lunch at the Hotel de Montana el Pelicano upon your arrival. Total distance: 24.5 km (15 mi.) Approximate time: 9 to 12 hours. Private transfer back to San Jose. El Rodeo Hotel (B, L,)

To get to the different attractions included during this excursion we will drive by the city of Alajuela passing by the Agriculture Monument, the Monument to Juan Santamaria and the famous Mango Park. As we ascend towards the Poás Volcano we will notice the change in temperature and vegetation; we will see coffee plantations as well as fern, flower and strawberry farms along the way, creating a beautiful landscape. On the way to the volcano we will visit Doka Coffee Estate for a delicious breakfast and a coffee tour, in an actual coffee plantation where we will learn about the ancient techniques used by the experts to produce one of the best coffees in Costa Rica. Learn about the careful process involved on the cultivation, harvesting and roasting of the Golden Bean. After the coffee tour we will continue to Poás Volcano where we will not only admire the impressive main crater with its sulfur fumaroles, but also learn about the different ecosystems in this beautiful national park. Following the visit to the volcano we will continue to La Paz Waterfall Garden for lunch and a tour. On arrival to the La Paz, we will walk through a trail, leading to a spectacular waterfall in the middle of the rainforest. Inside the park we will also visit the hummingbird gallery, the Serpentarium, the bird house, the butterfly garden and the frog’s exhibit. El Rodeo Hotel (B, L)

Today we’ll have the two following exciting and thrilling options to choose from: 

1. Canopy & Rafting Class II-III
2. Canopy & Horseback Ride

Choose from either a white water rafting or horseback riding plus a canopy tour as a great combination where the adrenaline shoots to the limit! Discover the natural wonders of Sarapiqui, a large territory located in the Northern part of the country, with crystalline rivers, abundant scenic beauty and towns full of hard-working and friendly people. As we depart from San Jose we drive close to Braulio Carrillo National Park, arriving to Sarapiqui where both adventure attractions can be enjoyed: the Canopy Tour in the middle of a secondary forest with high altitude trees, followed by lunch, and then Rafting in the white waters of the Sarapiqui River or the horseback ride. The Canopy tour lasts one and a half hour as you slide through the forest from ten cables of different lengths. Rafting on the Sarapiqui River on class II or III which allows vibrant scenery for those who wish to enjoy this exciting activity. A group of unexpected rapids is combined with slow relaxing stretches along a distance of 8-miles which will make this an unforgettable experience for birdwatchers and nature lovers. Horses are our specialty; we have raised them for generation. And have selected for you, horses of certified good health, strong, and well trained. We have many internal trails and solitary back roads in the area are just what you would like for real adventure on a horse. We provide the ideal route and length of ride for you, trained guides with radio communication will provide a safer ride on this beautiful and wild scenery, for an unforgettable experience. El Rodeo Hotel (B, L). 

While it started as a rescue and rehabilitation center for Toucans, the ranch now cares for a wide range of Costa Rican wildlife including parrots, macaws, owls, sloths, spider monkeys and more! The center takes in sick and injured animals with the goal of treating and rehabilitating them before ultimately returning them to the wild. Proceeds go to directly supporting the charity’s work. We’ll join the Classic Ranch Tour for a fascinating insight into the center’s work while learning about the importance of conservation in Costa Rica. We’ll be able to get up close and personal with the center’s resident Sloths while enjoying a local Costa Rican brew. This evening we’ll have a farewell dinner in good fellowship. El Rodeo Hotel. (B, D)

After breakfast, you have the day at your leisure and then transfer to the airport for flights back home. End of services.